FC Dallas acquires forwards Kenny Cooper and Eric Hassli

FRISCO – FC Dallas completed two trades on Monday, acquiring forward Kenny Cooper from Red Bull New York and forward Eric Hassli from Toronto FC. In exchange for the forwards, Dallas sent allocation money to New York and a conditional second round 2014 MLS SuperDraft pick to Toronto. Per league and club policy, terms of the deals will not be disclosed.

“Kenny and Eric are great additions for us in Dallas,” said Dan Hunt, vice president of Hunt Sports Group. “Kenny has long been a fan favorite here and we couldn’t be happier about welcoming him home to Dallas. Eric is an exciting player who we know our fans will enjoy watching. We have had our eyes on Eric for a while now and we are very glad to have him join FC Dallas. We think Kenny and Eric will have an immediate impact that will bring FC Dallas another step closer to our goal of winning MLS Cup and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.”

Cooper made his MLS debut with FC Dallas in 2006, scoring 11 goals and four assists in 29 starts. The Dallas product had four goals and two assists in an injury-shortened 2007 season before winning the 2008 Golden Boot with 18 goals and three assists. Cooper started all 30 games for FC Dallas that season, was named to the MLS All-Star team and MLS Best XI en route to earning the MLS Comeback Player of the Year award.

“We’re really excited to have Kenny Cooper back in Dallas,” said FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman. “When I first became the coach at FC Dallas, Kenny was our striker. He won the Golden Boot that season. He is a proven goal-scorer, a Dallas boy returning home to his roots. Kenny is a leader with exceptional character.”

Cooper played his fourth season with FC Dallas in 2009, scoring seven goals and an assist in 15 starts before being transferred to1860 Munich on July 31. Cooper was limited to 14 games in two 2.Bundesliga seasons due to injury. The forward re-joined MLS in January of 2011 when he signed with the Portland Timbers. Cooper had eight goals and two assists in 29 starts for the Timbers before being traded to New York for the 2012 season. He matched his career high in goals (18) last season.

A member of the U.S. National Team from 2007 to 2010, Cooper helped the U.S. reach the finals of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He appeared in five games and scored two goals during the tournament, earning a spot on the Gold Cup All-Tournament Team. Cooper has played 11 games and scored five goals in international competition.

Hassli joined Toronto FC on July 20, 2012, in a trade with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The target forward scored three goals and two assists in eight appearances with Toronto FC. Prior to the trade, Hassli appeared in 44 matches for Vancouver, scoring 12 goals and five assists during league play. Hassli enjoyed successful stints in Switzerland, France and England before being announced as Whitecaps FC’s first Designated Player on Mar. 4, 2011. He was named as one of six inactive players on the MLS All-Star roster on July 25, 2011.

“Eric Hassli is a very good player with an incredible resume,” said FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman. “He fits our needs. He is a big striker who holds the ball very well and is a great goal scorer. Hassli is also a player who can complement Blas Perez, allowing us to play in a two-striker system.”

Before signing with MLS, Hassli scored four goals in 16 Swiss Super League appearances for FC Zürich during the 2010-11 season. A native of Sarreguemines, France, he appeared in the UEFA Champions League with FC Zürich during the 2009-10 campaign. He finished third in the Swiss Super League goal scoring charts for the 2008-09 season after recording 17 goals and 10 assists for the league champions.

Since embarking on his professional career with FC Metz (France) during the 2000 season, Hassli has also appeared for several European clubs including: Southampton FC (England), Valenciennes FC (France), Neuchâtel Xamax (Switzerland), Servette FC (Switzerland) and FC St. Gallen (Switzerland).